"Oil run out and a deadly climate" How true are international reports on the future of the Gulf?

In light of environmental risks related to climate change and repeated talk about the depletion of oil and the resulting economic and political crises in the Arabian Gulf, warnings from experts have escalated over the past years that devastating crises may face the region if different energy and environmental policies are not adopted.

Over the past few years, the future of the Arab Gulf region has become the subject of experts and observers around the world, as a result of environmental risks related to climate change, in addition to the repeated talk about the depletion of oil and the resulting economic and political crises in countries whose economies depend mainly on oil and natural gas revenues.

A number of studies indicate that the Arabian Gulf is among the areas facing a devastating threat as a result of the escalating heat waves resulting from global warming and climate change, which in turn coincides with the process of oil depletion.

Experts recommend changing the compass of energy resources in the Arab Gulf states from fossil energy to clean renewable energy, which is what Gulf countries have begun to implement in order to avoid the catastrophic fate mentioned in many international reports.

In addition, the different approach and environmental policies pursued by some Gulf countries during the past years may reduce the possibility of the Gulf countries being affected by natural disasters resulting from the phenomenon, and even make them at the forefront of countries with a clean economy, if the expansion of the scope of clean environmental policies is successful.

Deadly climates caused by climate change

At the forefront of disasters that may result from climate change, comes the "wet bulb temperature" (WBT) factor, a measure used by ecologists to identify geographical areas in which it may become dangerous for humans to live in the future due to rising temperatures.

And it was stated in a report by the "Washington Post" newspaper , that the Gulf region is among the geographical regions around the world that face the danger of the "wet bulb temperature" rising in a fatal way that humans cannot coexist with.

The study showed that a person faces a serious danger in the event of a high temperature of “WBT”, not only because of the high air temperatures, but also as a result of the amount of water in the air, as the body has enough flexibility to deal with high heat through sweating, but the increase in humidity in the air hinders its ability to cool Same, which is happening because of climate change.

"Double blow"

Environmental experts warn that the climate crisis could deal a "double whammy" to the Middle East in general, by "depleting its oil income, as the world turns to renewable energy sources and temperatures rise to extremes unfavorable to life."

In this regard, Jeffrey Sachs, head of the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network, says about climate change and its consequences in oil-rich countries: "We are facing terrible problems, this region is the center of fossil fuels in the world, so many of the Their economies depend on a fuel that is no longer relevant to the times, and we have to stop using it.”

Sachs agrees with the researcher and specialist in climate change, Marie Loomi, who believes that "although the Gulf countries contain reserves of oil that may be enough for another century", "the Gulf states already have reason to be concerned", because "the decline in global demand may happen early."

Lomi asserts that Gulf societies await "a long way to build institutional and social structures, when the focus of global industry shifts in the future away from gas and oil exports."

Alternative strategies and positive steps

According to Jeffrey Sachs, the Gulf countries can turn the hot climate and the scorching sun from a curse to a blessing, as he said, “The good news is that there is so much sunshine that the solution is in front of them, all they have to do is look at the sky, the sun’s rays provide them with a foundation A clean and green new economy.

Gulf states have recently launched environmental plans and programs to diversify energy sources and national income, which would avoid the region's alleged catastrophic fate.

Marie Lumi believes that given the population of these small countries, and their income from high oil and gas exports, they in fact “have more resources to diversify the economy” and rely more on renewable energy sources, in addition to “building a knowledge society and reducing the amount of carbon dioxide emissions.” ".

Indeed, the United Arab Emirates has launched an Energy Strategy 2050, which aims to raise the contribution of clean energy from 25% to 50%, and reduce carbon emissions from the electricity production process by 70%, and the Emirate of Abu Dhabi is currently inaugurating a major solar power plant, in addition to launching The "Barakah" plant is considered the first nuclear power plant for the purpose of generating electricity in the country.

Tanzid Alam, director of Earth Matters, a Dubai-based environmental consultancy, said that the UAE is paying more attention to the environmental risks resulting from climate change.

For its part, Saudi Arabia, the world's largest oil exporter, announced the launch of several internal reforms to diversify the economy, including a number of major environmental projects, with a great focus on solar energy as one of the most important sources of sustainable energy.